The present invention relates to a data reading apparatus, in particular, to a data reading apparatus capable of protecting data information at the time of being used to read a recording medium usable in several apparatus.
Recently, there has been used a memory card capable of being inserted in or pulled out from a device such as a computer, an electronic pocketbook, an IC voice recorder and a digital still camera.
In a computer in which there is not provided a slot for the above memory card, a data reading apparatus is connected to a serial port of the computer in order to conduct reading or writing for the memory card.
From the computer connected with the data reading apparatus, it become possible to read, write or renew freely data stored in the memory card.
Owing to the data reading apparatus, with regard to data information and a directory structure of an image acquired by photography with a digital still camera, it becomes also possible for the computer to renew them by freely rewriting them.
However, since the data information of the image acquired by the digital still camera has a specific directory structure or a specific file structure, there may happen the problem that after the image was rewritten by the computer, the image could not be used by the digital still camera.
Incidentally, the above problem may happen not only between the digital still camera and the computer, but also may happen among various apparatus in which data information is not handled by the same manner.
Further, the above problem may happen not only in the memory card, but also may happen in various kinds of removable recording medium such as a hard disk and a mini disk.
The present invention has been achieved in the view of the above problem. The object of the invention is to provide a data reading apparatus capable of protecting data information at the time of reading a recording medium usable in several apparatus.
The above object can be attained by the following structures.
(1) A data reading apparatus, comprises
an apparatus connecting terminal to which an external apparatus is connected;
a reader to read data information or directory information recorded in a recording medium;
a first memory to store specific information to confirm whether or not specific data information or specific directory information is recorded in the recording medium;
a judging section to compare the specific information with the data information or the directory information read from the recording medium, to judge whether or not the specific information conforms with the data information or the directory information, and to indicate a conforming case or a nonconforming case as a judgment result; and
a controller to control a working mode such that a first working mode is conducted in the conforming case and a second working mode different from the second working mode is conducted in the nonconforming case when the data information recorded in the recording medium is handled from the external apparatus.
In the present invention, the retained specific information is compared with the data information or the directory information read from the recording medium. Between the conforming case and the nonconforming case in the comparison result, a working mode at the time that the data information recorded in the recording medium is handled from an external apparatus is changed. Therefore, by structuring the data reading apparatus such that information regarding the data information to be protected is retained as the specific information and the working mode in the nonconforming case is made a mode to limit the external apparatus to handle the data information, the data information can be protected at the time of reading the recording medium usable in several apparatus.
(2) In a data reading apparatus provided with recording medium connecting terminals to which a recording medium is connected and apparatus connecting terminals to which an external apparatus is connected, to read data information recorded in the recording medium and to transmit the data information to the external apparatus, it may be preferable to structure the data reading apparatus so as to comprise:
reading means for reading the data information or directory information recorded in the recording medium;
specific information storing means for storing specific information to confirm whether or not specific data information or specific directory information is recorded in the recording medium;
judging means for judging a conforming case or a nonconforming case by comparing the specific information with the data information or the directory information read from the recording medium; and
control means for changing between the conforming case and the nonconforming case a working mode when the data information is handled from the external apparatus.
(3) In the data reading apparatus of (1), when the data information recorded in the recording medium is handled from the external apparatus, the controller applies a limitation to the handling as a limiting mode which is conducted as one of the first working mode and the second working mode and does not apply the limitation to the handling as a non limiting mode which is conducted as the other one of the first working mode and the second working mode.
(4) In a data reading apparatus provided with recording medium connecting terminals to which a recording medium is connected and apparatus connecting terminals to which an external apparatus is connected, to read data information recorded in the recording medium and to transmit the data information to the external apparatus, it may be preferable to structure the data reading apparatus so as to comprise:
reading means for reading the data information or directory information recorded in the recording medium;
specific information storing means for storing specific information to confirm whether or not specific data information or specific directory information is recorded in the recording medium;
judging means for judging a conforming case or a nonconforming case by comparing the specific information with the data information or the directory information read from the recording medium; and
control means for conducting in the conforming case a limiting mode to apply a limitation when the data information is handled from the external apparatus and for conducting in the nonconforming case a non limitation mode not to apply the limitation when the data information is handled from the external apparatus.
As a result of comparison that the retained specific information is compared with the data information or the directory information read from the recording medium, in the conforming case, a limitation is applied when the data information is handled from the external apparatus, on the other hand, in the nonconforming case, no limitation is applied when the data information is handled from the external apparatus. Therefore, by retaining information regarding the data information to be protected as the specific information, the data information can be protected at the time of reading the recording medium usable in several apparatus.
(5) In the data reading apparatus of (3) or (4), it may be preferable to provide limiting information storing means for storing limiting information regarding the application of the limitation when the data information is handled from the external apparatus and to transmit the limiting information to the external apparatus in the limiting mode.
With above structure, the limiting information indicating an existence of the limitation for the handling for the data information is transmitted to the external apparatus, the reading out or the renewing from the external apparatus is limited. Therefore, the data information can be protected at the time of reading the recording medium usable in several apparatus.
As one embodiment in the case that the limiting information is transmitted to the external apparatus, it may be possible to protect the data information by transmitting only the directory information of the recording medium to the external apparatus.
(6) In the data reading apparatus of (3), (4) or (5), in the limiting mode, at least one of renewing the data information in a region of the recording medium indicated by the specific information and writing in new data information in the region is prohibited.
Since at least one of renewing the data information and writing in new data information in a region of the recording medium indicated by the specific information is prohibited in the limiting mode, the recording medium usable in several apparatus can not change from the external apparatus, whereby the data information can be surely protected. For a region other than the region indicated by the specific information, since the limitation is softened or cancelled, it becomes possible to use the recording medium effectively in plural apparatus.